Matthias Libot (Imperial College London, MEng Civil Engineering) London Business School
Prior to starting his MBA at London Business School, Matthias spent the previous seven years working for BP in Scotland, Azerbaijan and London. Initially, a subsea engineer, his interest in project management led him to become the Christmas Tree Delivery Lead for a variety of BP’s Africa based projects. This involved managing the quality, safety, engineering and cost & schedule performance of the key suppliers providing this critical equipment to the oil rigs. As a chartered engineer with the IMechE, Matthias has also spent a lot of time with STEM, regularly participating in school outreach programs and mentoring several graduate engineers within BP.
When did you start thinking about doing an MBA?
It has always been my intention to do one since I graduated from Imperial College. I really focused on the applications once I was working abroad in Azerbaijan and had a lot of spare time at the weekends.
What do you hope to achieve through your MBA experience?
I hope to be able to enhance my career by gaining a first-class business education and developing an international network of peers. Complementing my engineering background with an understanding of how companies operate and are successful will allow me to return to the corporate world and become an effective leader.
How will you use your MBA to further your career?
The MBA will furnish me with the toolkit to make effective business decisions in the future, and allow me to shape the strategy of an energy firm with the view of leading it on the transition to renewable energy sources. The MBA will also provide me with a network of peers throughout the globe that I can use to continue developing as a leader and to accelerate my career.
What are your expectations of being part of the SMF network after business school?
The SMF will provide me with access to the broadest network of UK business leaders with a technical grounding. Having access to a network which is much further reaching than my current Oil & Gas one will greatly enhance my development and ability to be successful in the future, as I believe it is critical to learn from other industries. In addition, access to leaders in UK industry will provide me with invaluable mentoring opportunities throughout my career, offering guidance at key inflexion points as well as support if I were to pursue a career in a different aspect of UK industry.
How do you hope to support SMF after you graduate from business school?
I hope to become a mentor to young engineers and to be able to provide them with guidance to have a successful career. I have mentored many engineers at my time with BP and hope to be able to continue doing the same, as it is vital to ensure the long-term future of the company you work for and UK industry.
What tip would you give to someone seeking financial support to do an MBA?
Spend a lot of time researching the possibilities and reach out to former students who can point you in the right direction, it really helps!
To learn more about applying for an SMF MBA Scholarship visit this page.
